T700 Improved Durability Compressor Coating Hardware Processing to Support Qualification/Field Service Evaluation
NCMS Project #: 140808
Problem: The T700-GE-401C engine is operated in all military services, powering H-60, AH-64 and AH1 aircraft. These types of aircraft are operated in both erosive and maritime environments. These austere operating environments degrade compressor airfoil condition and performance. The commercial version of the T700 is the CT-7 engine that is widely used across the commercial industry. Commercial gas turbine engines also exhibit compressor airfoil erosion due to contaminates entering the engine inlet. Contaminants such as road dust erode turbine air compressor blades used by the commercial aviation industry, degrading engine performance and increasing fuel consumption.
Benefit: Coated engines would outperform uncoated engines and would burn significantly less fuel and have greater time on wing. When fully developed and adopted, protective gas turbine engine compressor coatings will make commercial aviation safer, more reliable, and less expensive. The same holds true for the power generation industry.
The overall benefits of the application of an erosion/corrosion resistant coating on compressor blades are significant such as: increase time on wing, retain engine power, increase engine compressor life, decrease amount of infield compressor washes, decrease maintenance actions, and reduce environmental impact per each engine repair & overhaul. This coating will also decrease overall maintenance costs and reduce compressor replacement, and spares reduction. Due to overall compressor efficiencies fuel savings would also be achieved. Lastly, the coating on the compressor blades would reduce manufacturing of critical materials such as titanium and ultimately decrease spare parts procurements.
Solution/Approach: The purpose of this project is to conduct evaluation of flight safety of the BlackGold v4 coating and further vendor substantiation will be performed following a successful field service evaluation. This project will leverage ongoing joint initiatives currently evaluating engine compressor Erosion/Corrosion Resistance Coating (ECRC) for increased durability, with extensions to field testing and evaluations. This effort complements NAVAIR’s activity as joint service lead to explore the benefits of ER/CR on the H-60 helicopter and to qualify this coating on T700 engine components used by the services.
Impact on Warfighter:
- Reduce the logistics footprint
- Reduce demand for expensive long lead time compressor components
- Improve maintenance capacity
- Increase aircraft readiness and throughput
DoD Participation:
- U.S. Navy (NAVAIR Patuxent River)
- Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
- U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command (AMCOM)
- U.S. Army Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC)
- Technology Application Program Office (TAPO)
- Army National Guard
Industry Participation:
- MDS Coating Technologies
- GE Aviation
- NCMS
Technology Focus Area(s):
- Cost savings
- Maintenance avoidance & reliability